


The stars in his eyes

by Prince_of_doves



Category: Kaze to Ki no Uta | Song of Wind and Trees
Genre: M/M, Personality Swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:35:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24862405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_of_doves/pseuds/Prince_of_doves
Summary: Gilbert has snuck out into Paris at night to escape his boring and unwelcoming home life, if only for a few hours. Having found himself lost, he asks Serge, a mysterious Romani rent boy, for help. (Personality swap AU)
Relationships: Serge Battour/Gilbert Cocteau
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	The stars in his eyes

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea for a few months now so I finally decided to do something with it, I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to add more to this so for now it's just a oneshot. This is my first public fanfic so constructive criticism is appreciated! Big thanks to tumblr user relentlesslyexisting for beta reading!

Gilbert always had an insatiable wanderlust, whether it was going through the wooded forests of his uncle’s estate in Marseilles, strolling along the sunny streets of midday Arles, or now, as he wandered through the quiet streets of a gentle, sleeping Paris. Well, not sleeping per say, as the city never sleeps, but that just made for all the more adventure to the 16 year old boy. 

The year had now reached the warm months of summer, meaning that he could finally leave his rather boring life at Lacombrade for his parent’s home in the city of lights. Yet despite his disinterest in the Arles boarding school, he felt just as lonely at home. His parents had little care for him, with an indifferent father and a mother far too focused on his younger brother, Mars. When they did pay attention it wasn’t any better, with it always either being a venomous insult or a quiet scoff. Outside of them, the only other adult that was actively in his life (aside from the large number of faceless servants and personalityless visitors) was his uncle Auguste. He loved Auguste, finding him far more fascinating than any other adult he’d met before, though unfortunately he rarely saw him, due to the strained relationship between him and Gilbert’s father that he hardly cared enough about to understand. But at that moment it was hardly a concern, the only thing he wanted now was to explore, to aimlessly wander among the wide modern boulevards and twisting medieval allies. He knew nobody would care where he was, or at least his parents wouldn’t. The only reason they even bothered to care for him was because he was the heir to the Cocteau family name, but that was okay! At least they didn’t abandon him, though he knew that they would gladly replace him with Mars the first chance they got, but he could understand why, he wasn’t exactly a very good son, sneaking out at night and all, so of course they wouldn’t trust him with the family fortune when his father dies….

Gilbert stopped, his mind being interrupted by a sudden and horrifying realization. He looked around at the tall buildings surrounding him and began to panic. He didn’t know where he was! He was completely, utterly lost. Despite his adoration of the city and it’s streets, even he found it difficult to navigate without a map. He scanned the area, desperately searching for anyone who could possibly lead him back to his home. It was despairingly dark, the buildings looming over him like the shadows of large crows, threatening to engulf him in their overwhelming blackness. Though he would never admit it, he was scared- terrified even, of what could lurk between the gloomy structures. And that’s when he saw him. A boy who’s darkened figure was leaning against a stone wall in the alleyway, and, despite his features being hidden by the midnight shadows, appeared to be his age. And thus Gilbert put on his best smile and gently approached the mysterious boy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serge highly doubted that anyone truly believed his whole ‘poor orphaned son of a wealthy viscount’ story, Especially considering the sunkissed tone of his skin. But it was an easy way to make a few extra francs from the pitying populous. In all honesty, he could hardly believe the story himself at this point. It had all become so tangled in his routine of being a young and innocent Romani street beggar by day, and by night a cunning serpent of lust and allure. But that didn’t mean that he had no care or nostalgia for his past. He missed his parents and their lovely little cottage in Switzerland dearly. He missed roaming through endless grassy fields with the sheep as a young boy, pretending he was a little lamb and playing with the flock. Now, however, those were all but distant illusions in his memory, reminders of how innocent childhood is, and how cruel it can be when that innocence is stolen…

_“Soon…”_

he thought

_“Just wait 3 more years, Serge, 3 more years until you can finally be of age to take back the inheritance your aunt stole from you, then you’ll be free from the relentlessness of this awful city with it’s grimy, squalid streets and those disgusting bottom feeders you’re forced to call your lovers, you’ll be free to go wherever-“_

“Excuse me?”

Serge was suddenly snapped out of his admittedly spiteful thoughts by a bell-like voice. He turned to see where it came from and blinked, staring at the boy across from him. His face was hard to make out in the nighttime dimness, but judging by how youthful his outline looked, he appeared to the same age as him. And also considering the seemingly expensive clothing he was wearing, was most likely very wealthy too. He would know of course, considering that he spent his time at his aunt’s mansion before running away to this filthy city dressed in similar clothes as he played piano for his aunt’s guests every night, trying to bury his burning stage fright with a sweet but false smile.

Serge raised an eyebrow. this wasn’t his usual type of customer, his kind mostly served old drunkards and perverts, the richer of society only taking the most high class escorts. 

“Yes..?” 

He asked, trying to sound vaguely mysterious and alluring, just in case this twiggy-limbed pretty boy WAS looking for his services after all. 

“I’m lost...do you mind helping me find my way home? I wouldn’t normally ask a stranger, but….”

The boy seemed to blush in embarrassment and Serge chuckled to himself. 

“Sure, if you give me 30 francs.”

The boy looked surprised, but he quickly shook his head. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have any money right now...I can pay you once we get back though!”

Serge would never normally agree to this, knowing that he’d probably rush inside the moment they got back and refuse to give him a single coin. But there was something about this boy, he gave off a feeling of trust and compassion, like he’d refuse to lie to or cheat even the most despicable person. He honestly saw a lot of his younger self in the boy, loving and carefree, a pure soul without any knowledge of how cruel life could be….

“.....Alright. Fine. Where do you live?” 

The boy rattled off his address, which confirmed Serge’s suspicions. He apparently lived in Neuilly, thus meaning the boy’s parents were probably loaded with money. Being even more willing to return the boy home knowing his wealth, he walked out of the alley and started forward, slipping through the streets like a cat stalking its prey, with the boy stumbling along after him like a lanky, clumsy kitten tripping over it’s own long legs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gilbert followed Serge, twiddling his thumbs awkwardly as he tried not to look at the mysterious boy directly. He didn’t understand it, whenever he catched even the slightest glimpse of his shadowed face he could feel his own flush with a warm pink, and his heart start to tremble in his chest with excitement. Maybe it was just because he was nervous meeting a stranger in such an inconvenient way...yeah! That had to be it! And he knew that the best way to fix that was by breaking down the stone wall of silence between them with a simple question.

“My name is Gilbert, by the way...what’s yours?” 

Nope. This just made it even worse, with the stranger letting out an annoyed groan before begrudgingly answering.

“Serge.”

“Oh! That’s a nice name! It’s far more interesting than mine..” 

_“Serge…”_ Gilbert muttered the name over and over again in his mind until it was hardly a name at all. There was something about it that gave him the same feeling the stranger himself did, a feeling of warmth and affection he couldn’t truly get a hold of. He quickly shook his head, realizing that Serge was now far ahead of him. He quickly ran up beside him, giving a wide but anxious smile.

“Wow, you sure walk fast!”

Serge gave a grunt in response, and spent the rest of the journey in silence. Well, on his end anyways. Gilbert would occasionally try to start a conversation, making comments like ‘It sure is a beautiful night!’ Or ‘I wonder what the weather’s going to be like tomorrow!’ Which was mostly met with a slight ‘hmph’ of acknowledgement, but nothing beyond that, making the dead air between them even more pronounced. Gilbert had finally given up after a few more tries, trudging along before gasping, seeing the distinctive shape of his parent’s mansion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serge groaned as Gilbert skipped up to the door like a small child.

“Now where’s my money?”

“Oh, right!!” 

Gilbert hurried into the house, coming back holding a handful of francs. 

“Here you go!!”

Serge reached out to take them but suddenly stopped. The two were standing under a street lamp, both of them seeing each other clearly for the first time in the light. Serge stared at the boy across from him, awestruck. Gilbert looked far more like a doll than a human, having a pale porcelain face with rippling hair of golden string, pink lips that looked as if they were painstakingly painted on, and bright, emerald green eyes of glass that seemed to have the stars shining within them. He slowly handed him the money, the feeling of his soft milky hand against his own was almost breathtaking…..

”Thank you for bringing me back…”

He smiled, how rosy his lips were, how bright were his eyes. 

“I hope we see each other again soon!”

He waved goodbye, hurrying back to his house. Serge had an overwhelming urge to call him back, to hold his hand again and tell him that he wished the same. But the moment his lips parted the door was already shut. He sighed, looking down at the francs in his palm as he walked away, thinking of the stars in his eyes...


End file.
